ON THE ROAD AGAIN

FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN HOLDING YOUR BREATH JUST WAITING FOR ANOTHER BLOG YOU MAY BREATHE AGAIN FOR HERE WE GO ....THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ALL THE JOBS THAT ARE AWAITING AT DEMOPOLIS ALA...I HAVE THEM DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL TAKE THREE VISITS TO THE BOAT TO GET THEM ALL COMPLETED...ONE SET IN NOV...THE SECOND SET IN MARCH AND THE FINAL SET AFTER THE BOAT IS BACK IN THE WATER IN MAY...THAT IS THE THINKING AT THIS POINT ANYWAY..REMEMBER IT IS A LABOR OF LOVE..BUT IT ALSO IS VERY DEPENDENT ON THE WEATHER AS JOHN AND I FOUND OUT IN AUGUST... THE WEATHER AVERAGES ARE 67 AND 41 FOR HIGHS AND LOWS FOR NOV.....MAR 68 AND 43...MAY 83 AND 58......NOVEMBER SEES US FINISHING THE BOTTOM WORK ..CHANGING THE OIL AND FILTERS..DOING A LITTLE ANTIFREEZE WORK..CLEANING AND PREPING THE DINGHY..SETTING UP THE HEAT LAMP FOR THE ENGINE ROOM ALONG WITH A THERMOSTAT TO CONTROL IT..CHECK THE BATTERIES..THIS DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A VERY BIG LIST BUT ...IT IS....NEXT IN MARCH WE WILL WANT TO DO THE FOLLOWING ..CHECK THE ANCHOR AND VHF RADIO..TAKE THE HEAD PUMP OFF THE MASTER HEAD AND REPAIR OR REPLACE..REPLACE ALL 3 ZINCS IN THE ENGINES AND GENERATOR...DO THE SIDES OF THE BOAT BUFFING AND WAXING...THEN IN MAY.CHECK AIR CONDITIONERS AND IDLES.THEN FINALLY TRY TO GET THE SURGES UNDER CONTROL...THANX AGAIN FOR READING TOM

WHERE TO NEXT

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO THINK AND DREAM AND INVESTIGATE THE NEXT TRIP...I ONCE HAD A GUY TELL ME YOU CAN NOT TAKE THESE TRIPS WITHOUT PLANNING FOR A YEAR...WELL PLANNING IS IMPORTANT BUT YOU CERTAINLY DO NOT NEED TO PLAN YOUR TRIPS FOR A YEAR......HAVE SOME OPTIONS AND EXPLORE THEM IN OH SO MANY WAYS...READING..SENDING FOR INFO..ATLAS..CAR..INTERNET..CHARTS...BOOKS...ETC....JUST THINKING OUT LOUDAND WITHOUT ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE REAL CAPTAIN...THE OBVIOS OPTIONS FOR THR NEXT TRIP WOULD INCLUDE.....THE BLACK WARRIOR RIVER FOR IT IS RIGHT WHERE THE BOAT IS AT DEMOPOLIS...IT SEEMS TO BE A REMOTE ADVENTURE THAT IS AT LEAST 130 MILES WITHOUT FUEL OR FOOD..IT IS ALSO SUPPOSED TO JUST BEAUTIFUL...BEING ON THE WATER IN YOUR BOAT ENJOYING A TRIP IS JUST BEAUTIFUL.....ALSO ON FURTHER DOWN THE TOMBIGBEE TOWARD MOBILE BAY IS THE ALABAMA RIVER IT IS SAID TO BE EVEN MORE REMOTE THAN THE BLACK WARRIOR....THE BLACK WARRIOR GOES UP TO BHAM AND THE ALABAMA GOES TO MONTGOMERY ...AS YOU GO UP THE BW YOU WILL PASS THRU THE CAMPUS OF THE UNIV OF ALA....THE THIRD OPTION IS TO EXPLORE A LITTLE OF MOBILE BAY...I SAY A LITTLE BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS IT HURRICANE SEASON WHEN WE WOULD BE DOING THIS BUT OUR INSURANCE INCREASES DRAMATICALLY WHEN WE ENTER THE WATERS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO.....TWO OTHER REMOTE OPTIONS WOULD BE TO GO TO MOBILE BAY AND HANG A LEFT ONTO THE INTERCOASTAL TOWARD FLA OR GANG RIGHT TOWARD NEW ORLEANS AND TEXAS......SOUNDS LIKE FUN AND JUST PLAIN OLD BOATING ADVENTURES .....STAY TUNED....... THANX...... TOM

NOT SO OBVIOUS ...BOATING ITEMS

I MAINTAIN TWO LISTS FOR OUR BOATING TRIPS ..THE LISTS ARE OF ITEMS TO TAKE TO THE BOAT FOR THE TRIP...ONE LIST IS THE DUH LIST THAT BEING ITEMS YOU WOULD MOST LIKELY TAKE...THE OTHER LIST IS ITEMS YOU MIGHT NOT THINK OF UNTIL YOU NEED THEM AND THEN IT IS TO LATE....SUCH ASSTAMPS AND ENVELOPES..A PHONE BOOK AND AN ATLAS...MAGNET.. SPRAYS FOR BUGS MOSQUITOS AND WASPS..CALENDAR..EXT CORDS..WATER SHOES..L SOAP..HEAD TO TOE FIRST AID SUPPLIES..GLOVES..NEEDLE AND THREAD.. ROPE..RUBBER BANDS.. FLASH LITES... BATTERIES AND A BATTERY PAC..CHARGERS...TWEEZERS AND CLIPPERS...THANK YOU FOR READING TOM